Last week the apartment below mine was blasting “Pon De Floor” so loudly that the snares on my snare drum were rattling. While this anecdote reveals that I keep a drum kit in my living room, that still does not make me the most annoying resident in Westwood Village.
I understand that this is a college town and that college students like to have parties, but why would people have them at their tiny apartments when they could go out just about anywhere in Los Angeles? In a city filled with entertainment and nightlife, Westwood residents should get outside of the Village and explore.
There’s a big part of me that’s embarrassed to say that I live in Westwood; it’s so far west that no one wants to drive here, it seems that half of the storefronts in the Village are empty, and there is nowhere to park. The streets and sidewalks are messes that never get fixed. The older buildings are not well-kept. Overall, there are a lot of improvements to be made in both the residential and business areas.
I’d like to begin by reflecting on the residential aspect. First question: Why would anyone not affiliated with the school want to live here?
The rent is over the top, considering the condition and size of the apartments. Parking on the street is a nightmare, and once you’ve found your dream spot, you’re bound to get ticketed at one point or another. Aside from that, driving is just as ridiculous as parking because everyone thinks that hazard lights make everything okay and that pedestrians should be put in check with a little scare sometimes.
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays require earplugs for those who would like to get to sleep before 2 a.m. When the loud music stops, shenanigans on the streets begin. I have overheard from my fourth-floor apartment statements that would make Bob Saget blush.
The rest of the week isn’t much better ““ sometimes people are born on the rest of the days of the week and feel special about it or something. To them I say, take whatever is happening at that party to somewhere more appropriate, like Saddle Ranch.
When I’m walking through the Village, I spend a lot of time fantasizing about stores that could take the empty spaces.
For example, if a Target would move into the spot where there used to be a Rite Aid on Westwood across from the Urban Outfitters, all of my problems would be solved. There would have to be some construction to accommodate parking, but it would be worth the profit. College students need Target. That’s a given. We need its bed sheets, $5 DVDs, cheap lamps and discount foods.
My second dream store would be on Broxton Avenue where the Active store used to be. In that spot, I would put a Borders or a Barnes and Noble. It doesn’t make sense that the only bookstores walking distance from campus are the student store at Ackerman and the Mystery bookstore where no one actually shops. Having a bookstore at that location would also be fun because they could have various authors come to do book signings that people like me could geek out and attend.
Westwood needs an urban planning redesign. There needs to be more sensible businesses in the open lots and parking to go along with them. The apartment building managers should keep noise levels down at night when many of their tenants may need to sleep before they go to school or work the next day.
While I love that all of my friends from school live within a five-minute walk from my apartment, living in Westwood just isn’t for me.
E-mail Jagerman at njagerman@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.